Review Policy

Aaaah, so many books, so little time. Unfortunately, and of course you already know this, not every book published can be reviewed on this blog. 😦

The selection process
1- First, I need to know that the book exists. Though I do my best to keep informed, I surely miss wonderful titles; therefore contact me with your suggestions: nathalie.mvondo (at) yahoo.com
2- Culturally diverse cast, let us learn something culturally different from what the mainstream media are already covering and advertising.
3- Picture book, middle grade, young adult novel, non-fiction and fiction. In other words children’s books only, please.
4- While I can’t review every book, feel free to send me a title with a brief description, and I will gladly let the world know that your latest masterpiece is out. 🙂

About Self-published booksI do support self-published books, but I ask that the author be forthright with the reader and proudly introduces the book as so. I strongly believe that the negative image of self-published books (as to “not being good enough” or being “rejects” from traditional publishing houses) can be restored from letting the world know about the gems out there.
Therefore to be reviewed, the screening factors of a self-published book are no less than those of an excellent “traditionally published” book:
o Multicultural content
o Strong plot
o Well-developed characters
last but not least, the factor most observed as missing: manuscript served by strong editing skills.

The review
o If I review a book, it’s because I saw something special in it, a treasure I can’t wait to share beyond borders.
o When I decide to review a book, it’s most of the time because I think said book will change or enrich a kid’s life. Therefore:
– Reviews posted here focus on the story’s strength. We’re happy your book is out, and we want to celebrate it!
– Reviews are written from a bookseller’s perspective (I’m a former children’s bookseller), meaning I focus on the material’s identified strengths. Indeed, if I were to recommend a book to customers, I wouldn’t just tell them “it’s a good book, buy it.” I would detail why I got so enthusiastic about it, why I think they’d enjoy reading it and why I believe it is worth spending money on.